Super Bowl feast: 48 million deliveries, 1.25 billion wings

As Tom Brady and Eli Manning clash during the Super Bowl a week from Sunday, Americans are going to hunker down and eat. A lot.

Think 1.25 billion chicken wings — or about 100 million pounds of meat. That’s 5% of all the 25 billion wings projected to be eaten this year, or three times the amount consumed during any other Sunday.

The National Chicken Council even helpfully calculated that if the Super Bowl wings were all strung together, they’d circle the Earth more than twice.

Though more people will be eating dips and spreads, 23% of game-watchers will chow down on chicken wings. About half of those will come from restaurants — about 60% from casual dining restaurants and pizza places, according to the NPD Group — and the rest will be bought at grocery stores.

Regional fans of the New England Patriots are about 6% less likely than the national average to order some wings, while New York Giants backers in the Mid-Atlantic region are 24% more likely to do so.

Texas-based chain Wingstop, which has dozens of locations in California, said it will whip up 5.6 million wings on Super Bowl Sunday, or 12% more than it did last year.

But this is the time of year when wing prices start soaring, even though most eateries and supermarkets try to shield customers from the spike. In Indianapolis, where the Super Bowl will be played, the $1.96 price per pound for wholesale wings is up 50% from six months ago, according to theU.S. Department of Agriculture.

Restaurants can hardly contain their excitement. Many have spent months planning for the event.

The National Restaurant Assn. expects 48 million people to order takeout or delivery on game day. Another 12 million will probably go to a restaurant or bar to watch the championship.

In addition to salsa, dips, spreads and chicken wings, 61% of fans munch on pizza, while about half will tackle desserts and/or sandwiches. And don’t forget the salad and fruit — 42% said they’re planning a healthy menu.